Chile to Overhaul Mine Supervision as Workers Remain Trapped for Fifth Day

By Randy Woods -
Aug 9, 2010

Chile’s government plans to overhaul
the supervision of mining operations in the country as more than
30 workers remained trapped in an underground mine for a fifth
day, President Sebastian Pinera said.

“We are going to accelerate legislation that was under
review to completely revise all regulations to ensure mining
activity provides more guarantees, tranquility and security to
workers,” Pinera said today from Santiago in televised remarks.

The miners were trapped Aug. 5 after an access tunnel caved
in at Cia. Minera San Esteban Primera SA’s San Jose copper and
gold mine in northern Chile’s Atacama region. Companies
including BHP Billiton Ltd. have joined the rescue effort,
Mining Minister Laurence Golborne said in an interview with TVN.
Authorities have sought advice on the rescue from countries
including Peru, Canada, the U.S. and Australia, Pinera said.

The government plans to restructure Sernageomin, the
country’s mining and geological service, and will seek out and
sanction those responsible for the accident, Pinera said after
cutting short a trip to Colombia, where he has scheduled to
attend Juan Manuel Santos’s swearing-in as president.

“We’ve been able to determine in the case of San Jose that
in many mining operations the safety of our workers is not being
taken into consideration as it should,” Pinera said.

Opposition senators Guido Girardi and Fulvio Rossi plan to
introduce legislation that would increase penalties for
companies that fail to comply with safety standards, according
to a statement posted today on the Senate website.

“Workers die every year in mining accidents and we’ve
realized that a lot of times the company’s negligence is the
cause,” Girardi said.

Rescue efforts are focused on drilling from the surface to
deliver food, water and fresh air after an attempt to enter the
mine’s main access was abandoned because of concerns over
rescuers safety, emergency agency Onemi said on its website.

Pedro Simonevic, San Esteban executive, told reporters Aug.
6 that the accident “couldn’t have been foreseen” and that the
company is looking into reasons for the collapse. He said a July
3 accident at the mine resulting in an injury was unrelated.